I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas

For most, Christmas time means awkward family gatherings, cheery Santa Clauses on every storefront, houses glowing like the North Pole on every block, horrible Christmas music blaring in every shopping center and no parking at the mall.

For me Christmas time is also synonymous with Black Friday.  The day after Thanksgiving, the day that the Christmas holiday season officially starts, and the day that I wake up early and go shopping for ME!

That’s right; I don’t fight those crowds for anyone but myself!

Every year after Thanksgiving dinner I grab the local newspaper, skip the headlines and head strait to the ads in the middle, spreading them out on the floor so I can see every front page and door-buster deal.

I meticulously plot my plan of attack, comparing and contrasting my want for particular items with the probability of long lines, cutthroat shoppers and whether saving $2 is really worth it or not.

On my wish list this season: a new laptop, a practical need/want for school, a new printer, it is now cheaper to buy a new printer every year then buy new ink cartridges for my old one, and a kindle, just because I want one.

This year, for the love of consumerism, the sales started earlier.  Thursday Thanksgiving Shopping!  I was able to lock-in my desired 4-in-1 printer with one click of my mouse for $50 and free shipping before even carving the turkey.

One down, two more to go.

5 a.m. Friday morning came a little too quickly after two turkey dinners and a late night celebrating the holiday with friends, so hitting the snooze was a no-brainer.

Unfortunately I snoozed a little too long and missed a whole of hour door-busting deals.  Fortunately my first, and thankfully only stop this year, was the Office Max just a few blocks away.

The huddled line of people in front of the store stretched about 10 feet from the door. What?!  Only six people braved this cold and quiet area of Midtown? 

After a quick 30 minute wait in the wintry morning air, I was in and out with my new Toshiba Satellite 4G laptop for $430.

Regrettably I may have done my homework on the best place to buy a laptop but I did not do such extensive research on the laptop I was purchasing.  Within an hour of ripping open the package and plugging in my new computer, I realized this is not the computer for me.

My frugality got the best of me.

The graphics were sub par, the cooling fan made noise and the sound quality was like listening through a tin can.

So with receipt in hand, I returned my first Black Friday Failure for a mere $60 restocking fee the next day.

Thank God, actually thank little baby Jesus, for Cyber Monday sales; I was able to procure a better computer for less online from bestbuy.com.

And with only 24 shopping days till Christmas I am still actively searching for a good deal on a Kindle.  Merry Christmas to me!

Not to worry, contrary to how this blog sounds I am really only selfish one weekend a year.  I do still buy presents for family and friends, donate to charities and volunteer at shelters.

Giving Day

Every Thanksgiving families around the United States gather around tables and living rooms to share in a tradition of food, family and gratitude.

Many are thankful for their families, friends, good health and materialistic things.  For others not so fortunate, they are thankful for the simpler physiological needs: food, shelter and warmth.

I thankful for having a warm meal to eat every night and enough clothes to keep me warm.

Every night hundreds of thousands of those who are less fortunate huddle in allies, doorways and shelters protecting themselves from the encroaching cold of winter and are thankful for an extra blanket, a warm cup of coffee and a few scraps of food.

Luckily for many there are places to turn to for help.

Families who have fallen on hard times wait in long lines at local food banks in hopes of receiving the bare necessities to enjoy a full Thanksgiving meal. 

On Thanksgiving Day thousands of runners will take to the streets in the 17th Annual Run to Feed the Hungry.  A 3K and 5 K foot-race winding through the streets of Sacramento and benefiting the Sacramento Food Bank and Family Services.


Families Share Holiday Meals at Loaves & Fishes



Sacramento Loaves & Fishes feeds over 300 hungry families and homeless with donated provisions everyday, and are expecting to feed triple that for the Thanksgiving holiday meal.

The only requests on the Loaves & Fishes’ wish list this holiday season are 300 turkeys, 400 pies, 200 cans of Yams and 100 gallons of apple juice.


Volunteers at Loaves & Fishes



Other donations needed not just for the holiday season, but for the winter season are simple things like warm coats, gloves, sleeping bags, blankets, tarps, toilet paper, toothpaste, socks and hats.

I am thankful for having a roof over my head.

As the economy continues its downward climb, more and more families are finding themselves on the streets and homeless for the first time; as budget cuts become the norm to balance deficits, more local shelters are losing funding to keep their doors open.

Last year Sacramento County had 304 beds to shelter the homeless at Cal Expo, at the start of winter this year, due to budget cuts, the county had 0 beds.  In October the county Board of Supervisors voted to reinstall 50 beds for winter shelter, only a small fraction of what is needed to house the estimated 1000 homeless in Sacramento.

Many local churches are picking up the pieces and offering shelter for those in need.  Unfortunately it is not enough and still many are left to shiver in the frigid night air.

As the temperatures continue to drop and the Thanksgiving holiday quickly approaches, please remember to not just list your Xbox and new car as what you’re thankful for, but include the simple things that many of us take for granted.

I am thankful for:

1. Having a warm meal to eat every night

2. Having enough clothes to keep me warm

3. Having shoes on my feet

4. Having a roof over my head

5. Having warm water to shower

6. Being in good health

7. Having a steady income

8. Having family who loves me

9. Having all four of my Grandparents alive and well

10. Living in the United States

Please help those in need and give a little this holiday season.  Making a new family tradition of Giving Day.

Giving can be done in the forms of: volunteering at your local shelter, cleaning out your closets and storage to donate unused warm clothes, blankets and sleeping bags, or by purchasing and donating new items for the "Homeless Christmas Stockings" such as razors, gloves, socks and various hygiene items.

"Tent City" Homeless Encampment in Sacramento

Hawaii-Oh-No

Nothing spells ‘awful’ like a dreadful remake of a popular classic TV show or movie, and  CBS’s second attempt at remaking the classic hit TV drama, Hawaii Five-0, is just that, awful!

The cheesy police drama takes place along the shores of O’ahu Hawaii where the skin, surf and string bikinis rule the airwaves.

CBS’s original Hawaii Five-0 first hit the small screens in 1968 and lasted an impressive 12 seasons until 1980, making the hit show the longest continuous-running police drama series.

The original Hawaii Five-0 spawned a hit TV theme song and starred Jack Lord as Detective Steve McGarret; arresting the usual suspects while wearing his signature Cotroneo suits and big wave sculpted hair.  McGarret, as with the new series, is head of the governor-appointed crime-fighting team of Detective Danny Williams, Chin Ho Kelly, and Kona Kalakaua.

Although the 2010 Hawaii Five-0 series may have re-orchestrated the original theme song (only after protests from fans over the first electric guitar theme song flop) and they may fight the same thieves, organized crime, murderers and terrorists terrorizing the island, that’s where the similarities end.

The writing is appalling, with poor story structure, cheesy lines, and constantly using the Hawaiian racist epitaph hao le (pronounced Howly), a Hawaiian derogatory term for white person and main-lander.  In Addition the car chases and gunfights are ridiculously improbable, the explosions are on steroids, somehow Kona’s character transformed from a stout swarthy Hawaiian native man to a petite bikini-clad butt-kicking woman, and the new Detective Steve McGarret, played by Alex O’Loughlin, sports a less than lackluster hair-do.

Steve McGarret Then and Now



The show’s only saving grace is Scott Caan’s character, second in command Detective Danny ‘Danno’ Williams, his witty remarks and strong acting skills boost the shows rating from atrocious to tolerable.

“Those who like the more action-oriented end of the contemporary crime-show spectrum will probably enjoy Hawaii Five-0. It resembles last year’s CBS hit NCIS Los Angeles much more strongly than its 1970s namesake, and that was probably CBS’s intent for the show," said S.T. Karnick of Big Hollywood,  "Admirers of the 1970s version of Hawaii Five-O may not find this show as enjoyable as they would have hoped, but among audiences wanting more shows in the contemporary, action-oriented crime show category, Hawaii Five-0 would seem to have a good chance of success.”

This is definitely not your father’s Hawaii Five-0, but it is your little brother’s!  The action over-packed, police drama in a bikini can be watched Monday nights at 9 p.m. on CBS.

Happy Happy at Lucca

At first glance the old brick building is almost missed by the sidewalk traffic.  The restaurant is partially obscured by a large fall-colored tree and is easily diminished by the neon lights of the neighboring tattoo parlor.  After a closer curiosity-peek through the open sidewalk windows the casual décor of the exposed brick walls and open-beam ceilings invite guests into the renovated auto garage, home of Lucca Restaurant & Bar.

The popular California-Mediterranean eatery is nestled in the ultra hip corner of Midtown Sacramento’s 16 and J Street and is rumored to be one of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s, the Governator’s, favorite dining spots; he has often been spotted smoking his infamous cigars and enjoying a meal on his separate and private dining patio.

The happy hour at Lucca is popular among the state workers waiting out traffic, business casuals holding informal meetings and young locals looking for an affordable meal and drink. 

After glancing at the menu, it’s clear why the happy hour is so popular.  The overly-reasonable prices on the 12-item menu range from $1 for roasted spicy almonds to $5 for a burger and the drinks average about $3 each.

While waiting for my academic colleagues and happy hour “dates” I decide to partake in an adult refreshment, the margarita seems like a good choice for only $3.50.  Unfortunately the margarita mix overpowers any tequila and the drink quickly becomes heartburn central on ice.

As my colleagues arrive and we begin to peruse the menu it becomes obvious, from the many delicious sounding selections on the menu, that a decision on what to eat will not easily be made.  So we order one of everything to share.  Why not?  Family style dining is after all an Italian tradition.

The attentive and informative waitress begins to bring out each dish one by one, introducing the most popular zucchini chips first.  Thinly sliced baby zucchini wheels fried and salted to perfection for $2.  No need for any dipping sauce with these addicting treats.  The table quickly fills one-by-one with the happy hour dishes, and we all dig in, sampling and commenting on every bite.

The best dish for the price was a tie between the mussels in a garlic white wine sauce for $3 and the all natural Lucky Dog Ranch Burger for $5.  The mussels were served with seven perfectly steamed mussels in a delicious white wine sauce floating with paper thin slivers of fresh garlic.  The sauce was so mouth watering that an extra order of bread was needed to soak up the remainder of it.

The all natural LDR burger was delivered last, and cooked to a perfect medium to medium-well temperature.  The bun was simple and complemented the thick and flavorful burger patty all accompanied by the traditional accoutrements of fresh lettuce, pickles, tomato and onion.



The All Natural LDR Burger





 

The all natural LDR burger receives its name from the ranch where the beef originates, The Lucky Dog Ranch.  Ron and Terri Gilliland, also the owners of Lucca, offer all natural beef from their ranch named after their herding dog Lucky.  The Gillilands run 3,500 head of commercial cattle on all natural open pasture of alfalfa with no antibiotics or hormones on their ranches in Dixon, Calif. and throughout Northern California. 

The Black Angus beef used for their restaurants, Lucca and Roxy Restaurant & Bar, are hand picked from calves, raised to full weight on open pasture instead of in traditional feed lots and then are processed in a small meat processing plant in Orland specializing in the niche beef market.  The extra care and natural diet can be tasted in every bite of this delicious burger.

Although the happy hour menu offered at Lucca is not the typical Italian fare of gnocchi, risotto and lasagna, the entire happy hour menu was delicious and not a bite was wasted on us starving college students.  The total bill for 12 food items and four adult drinks was about $45, with tip included the smorgasbord meal was approximately $15 each.

Lucca’s happy hour menu receives 5 out of 5 stars for price and affordability, 4 out of 5 stars for taste, and 4 out of 5 stars for service. 



The Aftermath



Game One in McCovey Cove

The 2010 World Series is finally over and after 56 years of always being the bridesmaid, never the bride, the San Francisco Giants have finally won the Major League Baseball World Series.

Admittedly I have never been much of a baseball fan, yet on Oct. 27 I jumped at the chance to witness a piece of this highly anticipated history from McCovey Cove for game one of the series against the Texas Rangers.

McCovey Cove is the unofficial name of the area of the San Francisco bay located just over the right field wall of AT&T Park.  Boats, yachts, sail boats, paddle boards and kayaks flock to this area of the bay during games, in the hopes of fishing a “splash hit” homerun ball out of the water.  

I too, imagined myself catching a splash hit!

The large pontoon boat, my friend Mat owns, was difficult to maneuver through World Series fan traffic and chaos on the streets.  Dodging the rouge pedestrians and taking the tight corners of San Francisco's South Beach and Mission Bay streets is no easy task when towing 30 extra feet of a boat and trailer.

Luckily a few traffic cops helped clear the way and we finally made it to boat launch at pier 54.

McCovey Cove was packed, that’s an understatement, with hundreds of boats in every shape and size.  Flags of orange and black waved while misfits in Brian Wilson beards and pink wigs paddled by in kayaks, surfboards and dingys.  Even a pair of Speedo clad swimmers streaked by as we anchored.

The energy in McCovey cove was electric.  The roar from the 43,601 fans in the stadium reverberated throughout the cove as air horns and a distant trumpet blew in return.  Everyone was ready for the game; somehow the fans knew that this would be the year that the torture of losing was over.

A fly over of F-16s brought me chills as the singing of the Star Spangled Banner finished and fireworks marked the start of the game.

From where we anchored, the jumbo screen of AT&T Park could just barely be seen as it flashed statistics and occasional replays.  Luckily for us we brought our own TV, and after a few beer-can antenna adjustments the picture came in crystal clear.

McCovey Cove was informally named after the Giants first baseman and left-handed batter, Willie McCovey, who played for the Giants from 1959 to 1973.  Before the AT&T Park’s upper deck was extended, the area behind right field housed only a few benches.  Fans would gather there whenever McCovey was up to bat, hoping to catch one of his 521 career homeruns.  A bronze statue depicting McCovey now stands at the point of McCovey Cove.

After the Park's remodel, McCovey Cove became most popular for boaters and kayakers when Barry Bonds joined the Giants and began his homerun record chase.  Out of 55 recorded “splash hits” into McCovey Cove, Barry Bonds hit 35 of them.  A "splash hit" is only recorded when a Giants player hits a homerun over right field and into the water.

While there were no "splash hits" or even homeruns while we were anchored, the game and party on the water was still exciting.  The Giants went on to use the Rangers as batting practice and won the World Series opening game, 11-7.

A few tips for watching from McCovey Cove:  Check the tides, the boat lauch is trickey at low tide and can cause series damage to your vehicle and trailer.  Bring extra blankets and sweaters, although the weather was not too cold while we were there, the wind does sneak up on you!